Made a couple of small notebooks using some of my grid papers

The lines on the covers are created using a embossing tool

While I was out photographing the blossoms I took some of tree lilacs.......

bit of a difficult colour to reproduce and I tried to catch the lighter colours of the inside petals to contrast with the darker shade .....

Pinks..............

Some very delicate pinks - with a hint of darker pink fibres

A day of colouring and pulling....... a very pink day!!!

Spring Blossom

With all the blossoms around - I think I need to be influenced by them - this photo was taken outside my home -

The petals will loose their colour when processed so I'm not going to use them - just try and reproduce paper that uses their colour and delicacy - watch this space.....

This will also give me a chance to try and create pigments to use with pulp. Right know I have to order them from the America - time to see if I can make my own. I'm going to read 'Colour' by Victoria Finlay to get me in the right head space!!

Donington on Bain ......lastly

Freshly cut nettle tops, leaves and stems.

After cooking - yes this sludge will make paper.....

Nice density

The final type - far right (20% nettles 80% abaca)

Should work well with the etching print process - especially if internally sized.

Donington on Bain ...... more

Next pulp was made from dried grasses ....... not sure of the name but will up-date when known.

Just the grass fibres - results - very fibrussyyy - not usable for printing..

Added abaca and the resulting papers still have rough surface texture but dried well...

Re blended mix of abaca and grass - results - nice - print friendly .... but not a lot of rattle....

Donington on Bain cont.....

Firstly we made pulp from fresh daffodil leaves.

Results - rather interesting - almost skin like texture, very difficult to dry flat - possibilities for drying over an armature maybe?

Beaten abaca was added to the daffs to make flat sheets... The resulting paper had a subtle iridescent sheen - nice ... dried well ...nice rattle ...